Hitchhikers

kwandrsn · Mar 1, 2013

Ok so I have tons of different hitchhikers from brittle stars to mussels worms ect. I noticed something on my dead rock it appeared to be some sort of insect I don't think I get get a picture cause it is do tiny and quick. All I can really see it two little dots kinda like a ant body but very very tiny, they appear to be white like I said all I see is two specks. they come out of a hole on the rock and then back out. Anyone have any clue as to what they are.

Then I have these thin kinda whitish clear worms that stretch out and then go back into the rock and they spit white stuff out of their hole into the water. Kinda makes a mess.

And then I have these white cocoon looking things with tubes sticking out?

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ACEofNONE · Mar 1, 2013

Well imo the little white bugs your seeing are probably cocepods. I have them all over my tank. That really cool that youve had some
Brittle stars as hitch hickers wish i could get a few of those. Lol

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kwandrsn · Mar 1, 2013

Well I keep seeing clear flea like bugs dead floating I'm my tank from time to time the fish always get them but they are dead and clear and floating around

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GratefulReef · Mar 1, 2013

+1 to copepods they are very good and sign of a matured tank your fish and corals alike will use them as a food source. The clear white worms, just a shot in the dark could be a spaghetti worm(common name) usually you will see multiple tubes come out of the same spot, afaik they are harmless and help clean detritus. The white cacoons could be a type of sponge, I have some very similar they will grow a cacoon about the size of your thumbnail and then sprout thin white branches. If the cacoons look more like small pieces of live rock and sand glued together its another type of worm, that builds its "home" much like a feather duster(which happens to be a worm too) but only have thin almost clear white tubes that come out. Hopefully that helps, otherwise just google images of saltwater worms and see if you find anything that matches.

kwandrsn · Mar 1, 2013

the worms are not spaghetti they are clear thin and flat at times and I have seen them crawl out of rock so they are.just one worm.

The cocoon with tubes don't look.like sand they look like a cobweb like mound with a clear tube

So the two dotted things are copodes

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kwandrsn · Mar 1, 2013

Also seen.this guy on my glass... The hydroid are almost completely gone finally I had thousands lol

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GratefulReef · Mar 1, 2013

That is a bristle worm, afaik they are semi harmless to the reef just watch when moving rocks as people say they can hurt the bristle stick in your skin and break off under or just on the surface making it almost impossible to take out. Pictures of the worm(s) in question would help, if you can get them.